"Yes." Meekly. "But that ain't one of them, Lieutenant. That don't fit no code in the reg book."
Mallory continued to stare at the message. It was long, and undeniably confusing. It read:
83.7-152-232.12-167.64-31.02-16-184-167.64-9.02-1-126.92-144.27-
186.31-50.95-16-175-47.9-16-14.008-4.002-39.944-50.95-173.04-19-16-
10.25-69.87-14.008-16-184-232.12-186.31-39.944-127.61-14.008-20.183-
184-19-186.31-118.70-16-1-74.91-127.61-14.008-74.91-28.06-32.06-181.4-
14.008-140.13-138-92-20.183-184-39.944-222.-32.06-138.92-162.46-26.97-
126.92-140.13-40.08-10.82-26.97-32.06-31.02-88.92-14.008-16-184-16-
14.008-6.94-79.916-39.944-40.08-195.23-39.944-114.76-150.43-126.92-
232.12-114.76-127.61-14.008-32.06-126.92-19-88.92-140.92-16-127.61-
12-47.9-16-14.008-16-19-20.183-184-78.96-52.01-16.721-225.97-88.92—
"—and there it began all over again," said Sparks. "The same sequence. I agree, it's a code. But what good is a code when we ain't got the key to it. It ain't a simple word substitution cryptogram or a five-by-five. I studied them in the Academy, and tried them all before I brought this to the Captain. In other words, it ain't no good to us unless we've got the clue—and we ain't got the clue!"
Mallory said, "Billy said this was a message from New Fresno?"
"Well, he was wrong, as usual." Determinedly. "It come from Earth's moon. I know Joe Marlowe's fingers when I hear 'em. Damn, we was classmates for three years. Before I got crazy and gave up chemistry for key-pushing—"
"Chemistry!" Mallory started. "Did you say chemistry? Did you and Marlowe study chemistry together?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Why! Because that's the answer. Marlowe is nobody's fool. He knew you were the radioman aboard the Libra, prepared a special code, the key to which would lie in your brain as the 'memory of auld lang syne'—Bud, look at these figures again. You notice the number '16' appearing over and over? Even in that thick skull of yours, '16' suggests—?"